EXETER — The death of a woman whose remains were discovered inside a burning building in Exeter Thursday has been ruled a homicide, according to the results of an autopsy.

The New Hampshire attorney general's office identified the victim Friday as Amanda “Amy” Warf, a 36-year-old Hampton woman. Police are not releasing Warf's cause of death, pending further investigation.

Warf's body was found inside an abandoned concrete plant at 2 Hampton Road on Thursday. Her remains were located by firefighters after the building caught fire shortly before 7 a.m.

The state's chief medical examiner, Dr. Thomas A. Andrew, ruled the death a homicide following an autopsy Friday morning.

An employee of the Hair Excitement salon at the Fox Run Mall in Newington said Warf previously worked at the business. She described Warf as a “very caring and loving person,” and said she was the mother of a young son.

“She's just an awesome person, and we'll all miss her,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified.

Exeter police, the state fire marshal's office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are now participating in the homicide investigation into Warf's death, along with state police and the attorney general's office.

Warf's body was found inside a roughly 3,000-square-foot concrete plant that has been vacant for at least two decades, according to the town assessor.

Early on Thursday, police focused their attention on a suspicious vehicle that was also found on the 11.8-acre property. A gray Hyundai sedan was parked in the entryway to the grounds.

Caitlyn Lussier, an employee of nearby Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics, remembered seeing the car from her office window before the fire began in the morning.

Police surrounded the Hyundai with crime scene tape after the fire was extinguished. They eventually covered the vehicle with a tent.

At about 10 a.m., police were seen speaking with a man in a brown jacket inside the parking lot of Access Sports Medicine, which is located across the street from the concrete plant. He was searched by two officers, though it remains unclear why. Senior Assistant Attorney General Susan Morrell has declined to comment on whether the man is under investigation.

Members of the State Police Major Crime Unit collected evidence inside the concrete plant throughout the day Thursday, and also searched parts of the Exeter Recreation Complex next door. They inspected a dumpster on the grounds of the recreation complex at least twice.

Two state troopers also investigated a black Honda sedan that was parked in the Access Sports Medicine parking lot. They inspected the car for more than 40 minutes, taking photographs of the interior, exterior, trunk and undercarriage.

Police returned to continue processing the scene on Friday, according to multiple published reports.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact New Hampshire State Police at 603-271-3636.